{"id":1176407,"date":"2020-04-06T14:52:56","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T19:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kereport.com\/?p=70398"},"modified":"2020-04-06T14:52:56","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T19:52:56","slug":"good-news-from-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/?p=1176407","title":{"rendered":"Good news from Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Coronavirus: Italy begins testing for signs of immunity<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li>Authorities hope move will eventually allow them to issue \u2018licences\u2019 to individuals with proven immunity allowing them to return to work<\/li>\n<li>Country\u2019s number of deaths and infections has flattened out, and government has begun considering reopening businesses under \u2018phase two\u2019 stage of crisis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/author\/reuters\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=70,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/118x118\/public\/reuters-250.jpg?itok=k-rse0rZ\" alt=\"Reuters\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/author\/reuters\" class=\"\">Reuters<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Published: 3:01am, 7 Apr, 2020<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/europe\/article\/3078692\/coronavirus-italy-begins-testing-signs-immunity&amp;src=sdkpreparse\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a><\/a><a><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=Italy%20begins%20testing%20for%20signs%20of%20coronavirus%20immunity%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/europe\/article\/3078692\/coronavirus-italy-begins-testing-signs-immunity\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/print\/news\/world\/europe\/article\/3078692\/coronavirus-italy-begins-testing-signs-immunity\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/120x80\/public\/d8\/images\/methode\/2020\/04\/07\/a8ffd9d6-7838-11ea-9479-e3cad17ef2b4_image_hires_033131.jpg?itok=dZe83eUW&amp;v=1586201499\" alt=\"A medical worker takes samples at a Covid-19 drive-through testing station in Rome on Friday. Photo: AP\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/1200x800\/public\/d8\/images\/methode\/2020\/04\/07\/a8ffd9d6-7838-11ea-9479-e3cad17ef2b4_image_hires_033131.jpg?itok=JB7qvn_D&amp;v=1586201499\" alt=\"A medical worker takes samples at a Covid-19 drive-through testing station in Rome on Friday. Photo: AP\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>A medical worker takes samples at a Covid-19 drive-through testing station in Rome on Friday. Photo: AP<\/p>\n<p>Authorities in northern Italy have begun testing health workers for antibodies that may help identify individuals with immunity to the coronavirus as they look for ways to ease the lockdown imposed a month ago to contain the epidemic.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the northeastern region of Veneto, which saw one of Italy\u2019s earliest outbreaks of the disease in February, started blood tests on health workers, following neighbouring Emilia Romagna, which began testing last week.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can announce that the blood tests on health workers have begun,\u201d said regional governor Luca Zaia.<\/p>\n<p>Following an initial phase of testing on 2,000-3,000 health workers, tests are to be extended to staff and residents in nursing homes and workers in contact with the public.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen=\"1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nGvnn0VZZ0k?autoplay=0&amp;rel=0&amp;embed_config=%7B%22relatedChannels%22%3A%5B%22UC4SUWizzKc1tptprBkWjX2Q%22%5D%2C%22adsConfig%22%3A%7B%22adTagParameters%22%3A%7B%22iu%22%3A%22%2F8134%2Fscmp%2Fweb%2Fworld_europe%2Farticle%2Finstream1%22%2C%22cust_params%22%3A%7B%22scnid%22%3A%223078692%22%2C%22sctid%22%3A%22503302%22%2C%22scsid%22%3A%5B%2291%22%2C%225%22%2C%22322263%22%5D%2C%22articletype%22%3A%22DEFAULT%22%7D%7D%7D%7D&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com&amp;widgetid=1\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p>Rome under lockdown: streets deserted, tourist hotspots empty<\/p>\n<p>Zaia said the aim would ultimately be to allow authorities to issue \u201clicences\u201d for individuals with proven immunity to the virus to return to work.The tests come as the number of deaths and infections has flattened out and the government has begun considering the so-called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/europe\/article\/3078535\/coronavirus-italy-looks-ahead-phase-two-death-toll-slows\">phase two stage of the crisis<\/a>, when businesses and industry closed during the lockdown can start to reopen.<\/p>\n<p>The total number of confirmed cases increased by just 3,599 on Monday to 132,547 \u2013 the lowest daily rise since March 17 \u2013 while the number of deaths rose 636 to 16,523, or just under a quarter of all the fatalities registered so far in the world.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/europe\/article\/3078528\/coronavirus-home-deaths-hidden-toll-italys-covid-19-crisis\">\u2018My father was left to die alone\u2019: home deaths overwhelm Italy5 Apr 2020<\/a><\/h4>\n<p>With Italy\u2019s fragile economy facing the most serious collapse since World War II, authorities are desperate to restart production while avoiding a second wave of infections that could reignite the epidemic.CORONAVIRUS UPDATEGet updates direct to your inboxSUBSCRIBEBy registering, you agree to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/terms-conditions\">T&amp;C<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>But in the absence of a cure or vaccine, the response has been hampered by the many unknown aspects of the virus and uncertainty over whether immunity can be developed against it.<\/p>\n<p>The tests, which look for antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the illness, are simpler than the swab tests on mucus used to find the virus itself, but there is some doubt about whether they can yield reliable results.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome say they will work, others say they won\u2019t,\u201d Zaia told a daily briefing. \u201cIt all has to be proven but that\u2019s how vaccines are made as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen=\"1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_j8_42B9TPw?autoplay=0&amp;rel=0&amp;embed_config=%7B%22relatedChannels%22%3A%5B%22UC4SUWizzKc1tptprBkWjX2Q%22%5D%2C%22adsConfig%22%3A%7B%22adTagParameters%22%3A%7B%22iu%22%3A%22%2F8134%2Fscmp%2Fweb%2Fworld_europe%2Farticle%2Finstream1%22%2C%22cust_params%22%3A%7B%22scnid%22%3A%223078692%22%2C%22sctid%22%3A%22503302%22%2C%22scsid%22%3A%5B%2291%22%2C%225%22%2C%22322263%22%5D%2C%22articletype%22%3A%22DEFAULT%22%7D%7D%7D%7D&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com&amp;widgetid=2\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p>Hospital in Italy\u2019s worst-hit region overwhelmed by sharp influx of Covid-19 patients<\/p>\n<p>The blood tests, which produce results much more quickly than swab testing, aim to identify two types of antibodies \u2013 one which shows contact with the virus and a second which would indicate whether the body has developed a defence against it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve begin verifying whether these tests are effective and whether they concord with molecular analysis,\u201d said Andrea Crisanti, a professor of virology at the University of Padua, which is carrying out the testing with the University of Verona.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that within two weeks or a month we will have enough data to be able to have a certain level of confidence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coronavirus: Italy begins testing for signs of immunity Authorities hope move will eventually allow them to issue &lsquo;licences&rsquo; to individuals&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[362],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176407"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1176407"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1176411,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176407\/revisions\/1176411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1176407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1176407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1176407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}